SLO County teachers earn less than the state average. Here’s how their salaries stack up
San Luis Obispo County teachers earn less money, on average, than their counterparts statewide, although most districts have received year-over-year pay increases, according to new state data.
Average teacher pay in California public schools rose to $82,746 last school year, an increase of 2.6% from the prior year, 2018-19 California Department of Education data show.
San Luis Coastal Unified School District teachers’ average pay was the highest in San Luis Obispo County at $76,948 — nearly 8% less than the statewide average. It’s the second-largest district in the county with 393 teachers.
Salary figures are not adjusted for inflation. Data is based on a survey sent each year to all districts in California. Districts representing nearly 99% of the state’s students responded to the survey last year.
Shandon Joint Unified School District teachers earned the least in the county with an average salary of $59,886.
Statewide, average teacher pay increased by about 16% between 2013-14 and 2018-19. By comparison, inflation rose about 8% during that time period.
Most county districts have given their teachers year-over-year raises. Paso Robles Joint Unified School District teachers earned an average of $74,121 during the 2018-19 school year — nearly 19% more money than they did during the 2013-14 school year.
However, Cayucos Elementary School District teachers’ average pay has gone down almost 4% since the 2013-14 school year, when they earned $71,208. District teachers now earn an average of $68,697.
The county’s largest school district, Lucia Mar Unified with 569 teachers, paid an average of $69,127.
Average teacher pay depends on a number of factors, not just the relative generosity or stinginess of a community’s school board.
Pay usually increases with seniority, so a district with a preponderance of veteran teachers would tend to pay more on average than a district with a lot of inexperienced teachers. Cost of living also plays a role, as districts located in expensive communities must pay more to attract talent.
Teacher pay was highest in Silicon Valley’s Mountain View-Los Altos Union High school district, where teachers earned, on average, about $136,500.
More than a dozen very small districts in rural areas of California paid their teachers, on average, less than $50,000 last school year. Among districts employing at least 100 teachers, the lowest average pay was about $57,400 at Plumas Unified.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
